The JNR Class C62 is a 4-6-4 Hudson-type steam locomotive built for the JNR from 1948 to 1949.
History[]
The C62s were used mainly as passenger locomotives and were the largest, fastest and most powerful passenger locomotives used by the JNR. The locomotives were retired in 1973. Before their retirement, the C62s were used to haul the Tsubame (Japanese for swallow) service.
Five C62s have been preserved, of which one, C62 2, is operational.
The locomotives are popularly known as Shirokuni (C62 in Japanese) among railfans.
Preservation[]
The following Class C62 locomotives have been preserved:
| Number | Manufacturer | Date manufactured | Serial number | Date withdrawn | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C62 2 | Hitachi | 20 May 1948 | 1930 | 28 March 1979 | Kyoto Railway Museum, Kyoto, Japan | Operational, not mainline certified |
| C62 1 | 17 January 1948 | 1921 | 14 July 1967 | Displayed in roundhouse, occasionally wheeled onto turntable; formerly displayed at the JR West Hiroshima Railway Academy until 1994 | ||
| C62 26 | Kawasaki Sharyō | 8 October 1948 | 3159 | 8 September 1971 | Displayed indoors | |
| C62 3 | Hitachi | 18 June 1948 | 1931 | 19 March 1976 | Hokkaido Railway Technology Museum, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan | Displayed under shelter, viewing only possible on depot open days; operationally preserved until 1996 |
| C62 17 | 30 December 1948 | 1801 | 8 March 1971 | SCMaglev and Railway Park, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan | Displayed indoors, formerly displayed at Higashiyama Park until March 2011; speed record holder for steam locomotive in Japan |
Trivia[]
- The C62s reused boilers from JNR Class D52 locomotives, but other than that were completely new.
- The C62 is known for its appearance in a variety of anime series, most notably Galaxy Express 999; the locomotive in the series is numbered C62 48. On occasion, some C62s are modified slightly to resemble the locomotive as seen in the series.
- The video company Hudson Soft was named after the C62 and other 4-6-4 Hudson locomotives in general; the founders of the company were brothers and railfans who had a fixation on the C62 and other 4-6-4 Hudson locomotives in general. A variety of products made by Hudson Soft also include references to the C62 in their product names.
Gallery[]
